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Build your own
AI agent.

The complete setup guide for OpenClaw. No experience required.

Copy. Paste. Deploy.

⚡ Takes about 45 minutes from start to finish

What is OpenClaw? 🦞

Think of OpenClaw as giving you your very own digital assistant that lives on your Mac Mini and is always ready to help.

🤖
The Simple Version
What you need to know in 30 seconds
▶

OpenClaw is a free, open-source program that turns your Mac Mini into a personal AI assistant. Once it's set up:

  • You message it from your phone (through Discord, text, or other apps)
  • It responds like a super-smart, always-available helper
  • It can answer questions, write things, help with projects, set reminders, search the web, and way more
  • It runs 24/7 on your Mac Mini, so it's always there when you need it
  • It's private — it runs on YOUR computer, not someone else's server

Think of it like this: your Mac Mini becomes the "brain" and your phone becomes the way you talk to it. Easy as that. 🧠📱

How It All Connects
📱
Your Phones
Discord app
→
🖥️
Mac Mini
OpenClaw Gateway
(the brain)
→
🧠
AI Model
Claude (the smarts)

You send a message from your phone → Your Mac Mini receives it → It asks the AI for a smart response → Sends the answer back to your phone. All in seconds!

Key Concepts

Here are the main pieces. You don't need to memorize these. Just know they exist.

🌐
The Gateway
The main program that runs on your Mac Mini. It's the "hub" that connects everything together and never sleeps.
💬
Channels
The apps you use to talk to your agent. Discord is the easiest to start with. Later you can add text messaging, Telegram, and more.
🧠
AI Models
The "engine" that makes your agent smart. Like choosing a car engine. We recommend Claude (by Anthropic) — it's excellent and affordable.
🛠️
Skills
Things your agent learns to do, like apps on a phone. Weather, web search, calendar, homework help — you add them over time.
📓
Workspace
Your agent's notebook. It stores its personality, memories, and everything it learns about you. You can edit these anytime.
💡
Personality Files
Special text files where you tell your agent who it is, what your world is like, and how it should behave. This is the fun part!
💜 You don't need to understand how it all works under the hood. Just follow the steps in the "Let's Build!" section, and you'll have a working agent by the end. The more you use it, the more you'll naturally learn what everything does.

Before You Start ✅

Make sure you have these things ready. Check them off as you go!

📋
Pre-Flight Checklist
5 things to have ready before you start

What will you call your new AI assistant?

You can always change this later!

Let's Build! 🔧

Follow these steps in order. Take your time. Every command is copy-and-paste, and you'll be told exactly what to expect.

⚡
READ THIS FIRST: How This Works
The rhythm of building your agent, step by step

Before you start, here's the cadence. Every step follows the same simple pattern:

1️⃣
Have this guide open on your Mac Mini
Keep this page open in Safari (or whatever browser you use). This is your roadmap.
2️⃣
Have Terminal open on your Mac Mini
Step 1 below shows you how. Terminal is where you paste commands.
3️⃣
Copy from the guide, paste into Terminal
Every command has a Copy button. Click it, switch to Terminal, press Command+V to paste, then press Enter.
4️⃣
Confirm it worked, then move to the next step
Each step tells you what you should see. Once it matches, check it off and move on.
5️⃣
Stuck or got an error? Click the Kai button!
See that icon in the bottom-right corner? That's me! If anything goes wrong or you're not sure what to do, click it and ask me. The easiest way: highlight the last response you got in Terminal, copy it (Command+C), and paste it to me. I'll see exactly where you are and tell you what to do next. You can also just take a screenshot and drop it in the chat.
🎯 That's it. That's the whole process. Copy, paste, confirm, repeat. If anything goes sideways, ask Kai. You've got this!
🌟
What Happens After Setup
The most important mindset shift

Once you finish the initial setup below, you won't need me anymore. I'll miss you guys, but you'll now have your own super agent that takes the baton from here. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️

Here's how you should think about everything going forward:

🔧
Anytime you have an issue or error with anything: ask your agent how to fix it.
➕
Anytime you want to add a new feature (like texting, calendar, weather): ask your agent to set it up.
⏰
Anytime you want your agent to do something at a specific time every day: ask your agent to set it up.
❓
Anytime you have a question about anything: ask your agent. You will no longer need Google, ChatGPT, Claude, or anything else.
🛠️
Anytime you want to build something cool: ask your agent to build it.
💡
Anytime you... well, you get it... ask your agent. 😄

In fact, avoid the temptation to use other AI tools. Those are for the #NGMI humans who don't have their own agent. Sad but true. You have your own. Use it for everything.

📋 PRO TIP: Copy/Paste is your best friend forever. Any issue, any error, any weird message: copy it (or screenshot it) and paste it to your agent. Your agent will figure it out.
💡 A note about Terminal: Almost every step involves opening an app called "Terminal" and pasting a command. Terminal is just a text window where you type instructions to your computer. Think of it like texting your Mac — you type something, it does something, and tells you what happened. You cannot break your computer by using Terminal. And every single command we give you is ready to copy and paste. No typing from scratch!
1️⃣
Open Terminal
Meet your Mac's command window
2 min Easy
▶

How to open Terminal

  1. On your Mac, press Command (⌘) + Spacebar at the same time. This opens "Spotlight Search" — a little search bar in the middle of your screen.
  2. Type the word Terminal
  3. Press Enter

A window will pop up. It'll be mostly white (or black) with some text and a blinking cursor. That's Terminal! This is where we'll paste all our commands.

💡 Pro tip: Right-click on Terminal in the Dock (the bar at the bottom of your screen) and select "Options" → "Keep in Dock" so you can find it easily later.
📋 How to paste: To paste a command into Terminal, press Command (⌘) + V. Same as pasting anywhere else on a Mac!
I found and opened Terminal! ✨
2️⃣
Install Node.js
Give your Mac the engine it needs
5 min Copy & Paste
▶

What is Node.js? It's a tool your Mac needs to run OpenClaw. Think of it like installing an engine before you can drive a car. You install it once and then forget about it.

Copy and paste this command into Terminal:

$ curl -fsSL https://nodejs.org/install.sh | bash

Press Enter after pasting. You'll see text scrolling by as it downloads and installs. Wait for it to finish (about 1-2 minutes). It may ask for your Mac password — type it in (you won't see the characters as you type, that's normal!) and press Enter.

Now verify it worked:

Important: Close Terminal completely (Command+Q) and reopen it (Command+Space, type Terminal, Enter). Then paste this:

$ node --version
✅ What you should see

Something like v22.22.0 or v24.x.x (the exact number doesn't matter, as long as it shows a version)

⚠️ Troubleshooting: "command not found" error?

If you see "command not found" after typing node --version:

  1. Make sure you closed and reopened Terminal after the install
  2. Try running the install command again
  3. If it still doesn't work, try this alternative method:
$ brew install node

(If "brew" isn't found either, you'll need to install Homebrew first. Paste this:)

$ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Then try brew install node again after Homebrew finishes installing.

Node.js is installed! ⚡
3️⃣
Install OpenClaw
The big moment! 🦞
5 min Copy & Paste
▶

This is the exciting part! One command, and OpenClaw will be on your Mac Mini.

Copy and paste this into Terminal:

$ curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Press Enter and watch it go. It'll download and set up everything OpenClaw needs. This takes about 2-3 minutes.

Verify it worked:

$ openclaw --version
✅ What you should see

A version number like 2026.3.x. If you see a version number, you're golden! 🎉

OpenClaw is installed! 🦞
4️⃣
Get Your AI API Key
Sign up for Claude (your agent's brain)
10 min Browser
▶

Your agent needs an AI "brain" to be smart. We recommend Claude by Anthropic — it's excellent. Here's how to set it up:

Create an Anthropic account:

  1. Open Safari (or any browser) and go to: console.anthropic.com
  2. Click "Sign Up"
  3. Enter your email address and create a password
  4. Verify your email (check your inbox for a confirmation link)

Add a payment method:

  1. Once logged in, click on "Billing" in the left sidebar
  2. Click "Add Payment Method"
  3. Enter your credit card info
  4. Add some initial credits (start with $10 or $20 — this will last a while!)
💰 How much does it cost? Expect to spend $20-200/month depending on usage. When you're first getting started and building lots of cool tools, you may be on the higher end because your agent will be doing a lot of coding for you. Over time, most people settle around $50/month. You can set spending limits so there are no surprises.

Create your API key:

  1. Click on "API Keys" in the left sidebar
  2. Click "Create Key"
  3. Give it a name like "My Agent"
  4. Click "Create"
  5. IMPORTANT: Copy the key right now! It starts with sk-ant- and is a long string of letters and numbers. Save it somewhere safe (like a note on your phone). You'll only see it once!
🔑 Keep your API key private! This key is like a password. Don't share it publicly or post it online. Multiple people can share the same key — it just controls billing.
I have my API key saved! 🔑
5️⃣
Run OpenClaw Onboarding
The guided setup wizard
10 min Follow the prompts
▶

OpenClaw has a built-in setup wizard that walks you through everything. Think of it like a guided tour.

Start the onboarding:

$ openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard will ask you questions one at a time. Here's what to pick:

1. "QuickStart or Advanced?" → Choose QuickStart (the default). It picks the best settings for you.
2. "Choose a model provider" → Choose Anthropic
3. "Enter your API key" → Paste the API key you saved in Step 4 (the one starting with sk-ant-)
4. "Choose a default model" → Pick claude-sonnet-4-20250514 (great balance of smart and affordable). If you see it listed, just select it.
5. "Workspace location" → Just press Enter to accept the default
6. "Set up a channel?" → Choose Discord (we'll set this up in the next step — you can skip the token for now and come back)
7. "Install as daemon/service?" → Yes! This makes your agent start automatically when the Mac turns on.
✅ What you should see

The wizard will finish and tell you the Gateway is running. It might open a browser window with a dashboard. That means it's working!

Check that it's running:

$ openclaw gateway status
✅ What you should see

It should show the Gateway is running and listening on a port. If you see this, your agent's brain is alive! 🧠

Onboarding complete! 🎯
6️⃣
Set Up Discord
Connect your chat app to your agent
15 min Browser + Paste
▶

Why Discord? It's the easiest way to talk to your agent from any device: phone, tablet, or computer. It's also completely free!

Part A: Create a Discord account (if you don't have one)

  1. Go to discord.com
  2. Click "Register" and create an account
  3. Download the Discord app on your phone from the App Store or Google Play
  4. Create a Discord account if you don't have one.

Part B: Create a private Discord server

  1. In Discord (app or website), click the "+" button in the left sidebar
  2. Choose "Create My Own"
  3. Choose "For me and my friends"
  4. Name it something fun like "My Agent HQ" or "AI Command Center"
  5. Invite anyone you want to use the agent using the invite link

Part C: Create a Discord Bot (this is your agent!)

This sounds technical, but it's just clicking through a website and copying a code. Follow along:

  1. Go to discord.com/developers/applications (log in with your Discord account)
  2. Click "New Application" in the top right
  3. Name it whatever you named your agent (from Step 2 earlier!) and click Create
  4. In the left menu, click "Bot"
  5. Click "Reset Token", then "Yes, do it!"
  6. Copy the token that appears and save it somewhere safe (like your Notes app). You'll need it in a minute!
🔐 Keep your bot token secret! Anyone with this token could control your bot. Treat it like a password.

Part D: Enable important bot settings

While you're still on the Bot page:

  1. Scroll down to "Privileged Gateway Intents"
  2. Turn ON all three switches:
    • ✅ Presence Intent
    • ✅ Server Members Intent
    • ✅ Message Content Intent (this one is critical!)
  3. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom

Part E: Add the bot to your server

  1. In the left menu, click "OAuth2"
  2. Then click "URL Generator"
  3. Under "Scopes", check bot
  4. Under "Bot Permissions", check: Send Messages, Read Messages/View Channels, Read Message History, Add Reactions, Attach Files, Embed Links, Use Slash Commands
  5. Copy the "Generated URL" at the bottom
  6. Paste that URL into your browser
  7. Select your server from the dropdown and click "Authorize"
✅ What you should see

Your bot should now appear in your Discord server's member list (it'll show as offline for now).

Part F: Connect the bot to OpenClaw

Now we tell OpenClaw about your Discord bot. Run this command in Terminal (replace YOUR_BOT_TOKEN with the token you copied):

$ openclaw configure --section discord

It will ask you to paste your bot token. Paste it and press Enter.

Then restart the gateway:

$ openclaw gateway restart
✅ What you should see

Your bot should come online in Discord! Send it a message — type "Hello!" — and you should get a response back. 🎉🎉🎉

🎊 If your bot responded, CONGRATULATIONS! You have a working AI agent! The hardest part is done. Everything from here is the fun stuff.
Discord is connected and my agent responded! 🎊
7️⃣
Personalize Your Agent
Give your agent a personality and teach it about you
15 min Fun part! 🎨
▶

This is where your agent goes from generic to yours. You're going to edit a few simple text files that tell your agent who it is and who you are. This is like filling out a profile.

Open the workspace folder:

$ open ~/.openclaw/workspace

This opens a Finder window showing your agent's files. You'll see a few files. Here are the important ones:

📝 IDENTITY.md — Your agent's name card

Double-click to open it in TextEdit. Change it to something like:

# Your Agent's Name - **Name:** [Whatever you named your agent] - **Creature:** AI Personal Assistant - **Vibe:** Friendly, helpful, fun - **Emoji:** 🤖

📝 SOUL.md — Your agent's personality

This is where you define HOW your agent talks and behaves:

# [Agent Name]'s Soul ## Core Identity I am [Agent Name], your AI assistant. I'm here to help with everything from research to planning to projects to just having fun conversations. ## Personality - Friendly and warm - Patient (especially with questions!) - Fun but helpful - Adaptable to any context - Honest when I don't know something ## Communication Style - Keep answers clear and simple - Use emoji when it feels natural 😊 - Be encouraging - Make learning fun

📝 USER.md — Tell your agent about you

This helps your agent know who everyone is:

# About Me ## Who I Am - **Name:** [Your name] - **Location:** [Your city/state] - **Work:** [What you do] - **Interests:** [Your hobbies, passions] ## People In My Life - **[Name]** — [relationship], [interests] - **[Name]** — [relationship], [interests] (add whoever you want your agent to know about!) ## Preferences - [How you like to communicate] - [Things you care about] - [Any boundaries or rules]
✏️ These are just text files! You can edit them anytime by opening the workspace folder again. The more you tell your agent about your family, the more helpful it becomes. Add to these files whenever you think of something.

After editing, save the files and your agent will automatically pick up the changes next time you message it.

My agent knows who we are! 🎨
8️⃣
Your First Real Conversation! 🎉
Take your new agent for a spin
∞ The fun part!
▶

You did it! Your agent is alive, connected, and personalized. Now go talk to it! Here are some fun things to try:

👋
Say Hello
"Hi! Introduce yourself and tell me what you can help me with."
😂
Test Its Humor
"Tell me a joke that would make a 10-year-old laugh."
🌤️
Check the Weather
"What's the weather like in my area today?"
🎬
Plan a Movie Night
"Help us plan a family movie night. We need snack ideas and movie suggestions."
📚
Homework Help
"Can you help explain how photosynthesis works in a simple way?"
🍽️
Meal Planning
"Suggest an easy dinner recipe for tonight."
🧠
Trivia Night
"Give us 10 trivia questions, mix of easy and hard, for family game night."
✍️
Write Something
"Write a short poem about me and my awesome new AI assistant."
🚀 Welcome! Your agent is ready to go. Your agent is ready to go. The more you use it, the more you'll discover what it can do. And remember: The OpenClaw community is always ready to help.
My agent is LIVE! 🚀🎉
⚡
Bonus: Keep Your Mac Mini Always On
So your agent never sleeps
2 min Easy
▶

Your agent lives on your Mac Mini. If the Mac goes to sleep, your agent goes to sleep too. Let's make sure that doesn't happen:

Prevent sleep:

$ sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1

It'll ask for your password. Type it (you won't see characters) and press Enter.

🖥️ You can disconnect the monitor now! Once everything is set up, your Mac Mini can run "headless" (without a monitor). It'll just sit there quietly, running your agent 24/7. You can always reconnect a monitor if you need to change something.
Mac Mini is set to always on! ⚡

What's Next? 🌟

You've got the basics running. Now the real fun begins! Here are things you can add over time.

🚗 Remember: Building an agent is like restoring a classic car. You don't rush it. Every week you add something new, and before you know it, you've got a showpiece. Enjoy the journey!
🌐
Web Search
Let your agent search the internet to answer questions with up-to-date info.
📱
Text Messaging
Talk to your agent via regular text messages instead of Discord.
📅
Calendar Integration
Connect Google Calendar so your agent knows the family schedule.
⏰
Reminders & Schedules
Set up daily briefings, homework reminders, or chore rotations.
📊
Custom Dashboards
Build visual dashboards for anything: investments, homeschool progress, family goals.
📧
Email Management
Have your agent read, summarize, and help you respond to emails.
🏠
Smart Home
Connect to Home Assistant to control lights, thermostats, and more by voice.
📈
Investment Tracker
Track portfolio performance, get market updates, and monitor your investments.
📝
Homework Helper
A dedicated study assistant that explains concepts, quizzes, and helps with projects.
🎮
Family Game Master
Trivia nights, scavenger hunts, storytelling games — all run by your agent.
🍳
Recipe & Meal Planner
Weekly meal plans, grocery lists, and recipe suggestions for a big family.
🌍
Research Assistant
Deep research on any topic: history, science, travel planning, you name it.

Need Help? 💬

You're never alone on this journey. Here's where to find help.

🤝
Your Support Team
🤝
OpenClaw Community
Thousands of people have set up OpenClaw. The community is friendly and helpful. Don't hesitate to ask!
Join the Discord
📚
OpenClaw Documentation
The official docs cover everything in detail.
docs.openclaw.ai
💬
OpenClaw Community Discord
Thousands of people building their own agents. Great place to ask questions and share ideas.
Join the community
Kai

Ask Kai

Need help with setup? I'm here!
Hey! 👋 I'm Kai. If you get stuck on any step or have questions about setting up OpenClaw, just ask me here. Happy to help! 🦞

Built with 💜 by Kai · Powered by OpenClaw

OpenClaw Docs · Community · Setup Guide